SALEM, Ore. – A good Samaritan ditched his slippers and ran after a burglar–in the rain–all to help his neighbor. It turns out he’s a young man, just 17-years-old.
Cody Broughton was asked exactly what he was thinking when he decided to chase down the burglar. He replied, “Nothing… I was just focused on the back of her head a focusing on how fast I was running and I just wanted to make sure I was going to get my neighbor’s stuff back for her.”
Burglary victim Brenda Fleming said his brave efforts came after she came home to find this 30-year-old Marilyn Murillo in her home.
According to police, Murillo broke into her apartment in Brenda’s complex around 8:30 Tuesday night. “I actually tried to grab her and stop her,” Brenda said.
Cody heard her calls for help and said his fight response kicked in. “I saw the lady taking off down our driveway and so I just kicked my slippers off and started running towards her.”
Cody said he and another neighbor chased Murillo around the block until they caught up to the suspect. “She was like, ‘I do not want to get in trouble I do not want to get in trouble.” And I was like, ‘Then just give me the bag and you won’t get in trouble.'”
Cody took the bag and Murillo ran once again. He brought the bag back to police, where he says a K-9 was able to trace the burglar’s scent and track her down.
Murillo was taken into custody and charged with burglary 1, theft one and violating probation.
Cody said, “I was like, ‘I can’t wait to get it back and just hold it up in the air.'”
As for Brenda, she said she owes everything to her neighbors and to the speedy teen who just wanted to help. “It means that he was being very selfless at his age it speaks a lot.”
Brenda believes the burglar got in through an unlocked window. She said she plans on getting surveillance for her home and a gift for her young hero.
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